Residents press council on street safety and traffic calming after crowded public comment

Public safety dominated the public‑comment portion of the work session: multiple residents and attendees pressed council to address street safety and traffic calming across the borough.

Councilwoman Mary Fuller (S5), who chaired the public safety committee meeting, said the committee dedicated time to listening to residents and will pursue a mix of near‑term and longer‑term options. Fuller said Chief Devlin, Mayor Rachel Bollans and Councilman Carroll expressed willingness to participate in follow‑up conversations and that some council members will form a smaller task force to develop measures that are within borough authority.

Residents raised specific concerns and suggestions: multilingual storm and snow‑emergency announcements, more visible enforcement of crosswalks and stop signs near schools, expanded patrols during school hours, and clearer tracking and closure comments when residents file reports about uncleared sidewalks or buried fire hydrants. Several speakers praised public works’ heavy snow response—citing hundreds of overtime hours and use of salt—but asked for better closure or follow‑through when individual complaints are logged.

Council said it will schedule additional dedicated public meetings to gather more input, and staff will review budgeted and potential supplemental funding to support measures. Fuller emphasized that some actions are limited by borough authority and will require coordination with county or external agencies.

The meeting produced no binding policy changes at this session; council members said work will continue in committees and task forces ahead of future votes.